Ivanhoé Cambridge will invest $200 million into revitalizing the Place Ville Marie esplanade and its commercial offerings. The aim to infuse more vibrancy into the heart of downtown Montreal.

This is part of Ivanhoé Cambridge’s one billion Projet Nouveau-Centre initiative to renew downtown Montreal. Work has already been completed on Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth and Maison Manuvie, with renovations on Montreal Eaton Centre continuing until 2020.

“The Esplanade will be one of Montreal’s major urban gathering locations,” said Bernard Poliquin, senior vice president, office, Quebec, Ivanhoé Cambridge “The Esplanade will be programmed with cultural and experiential activities rivalling those of the great international metropolises.”

Montreal firms Sid Lee Architecture and Menkès Shooner Dagenais Létourneux Architectes will be working on the project.

“Our primary goal is for this civic space to be a catalyst for downtown social activity,” said Jean Pelland, architect and senior partner, Sid Lee Architecture. “Given the importance of this iconic space, we sought additional exposure to urban activity, making it more accessible and usable. Our major architectural interventions are in line with this desire for great openness.”

To keep the project aligned with its historical context, the Ivanhoé Cambridge teams met with one of the original architects, Henry N. Cobb. Cobb said he is happy with how this work will enhance civic life, a vision he first perceived when designing the architectural gem.